Piazza Venezia
The Piazza Venezia
is another of Rome's well-known squares, although in this case, its
reputation is based on its central position as you transit the city.
The Piazza stands between the Capitoline Hill, the Imperial Forums
and the Colosseum on one side with the Pantheon, several noted
piazzas and the Vatican to the other side. Cross with caution,
as the Piazza is a dangerous place for pedestrians. |
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The Piazza Venezia is dominated by the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele
II, who unified Italy into the modern nation state that we know
today. The edge if this monument is shown at the right of the picture at
the top of this page and is the subject of the photograph
immediately below. To the right of the monument is the Cordonatta, the ancient stairs leading to the Piazza Campidoglio and
the Palatine Hill.
The Palazzo Venezia, now a museum featuring art from the
Renaissance, is the highlight of the Piazza. Originally built
for a cardinal who then became pope, the building has served as a
ministry for several groups, including the Venetian Republic.
At the northeastern edge of the Piazza is Trajan's Column (shown
below and identified in the photo at the top of the page with a red
asterisk). This stately column commemorated Emperor Trajan
(2nd century AD) victory in Rome's wars with the Dacians, a
Germanic tribe that occupied an area north of the Danube river in
present-day Romania. The Dacians and their lands were eventually
subjugated by Trajan and made part of the Roman Empire.
The column was the central focus of Trajan’s Forum, remnants
of which can be seen to the right of Trajan's Column in the
photograph below. The column is hollow and its core
contains a spiral stairway to the top. The column exterior is
inscribed with over 2000 scenes from the Dacian Wars, although most
are too small to be seen from ground level. Trajan’s statue atop the
column was eventually replaced by a statue of St. Peter, which
remains there today. Just to the right of Trajan's column are
the stone columns from part of Trajan's Forum
.
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